"The question is, shall we endow a school to which many would desire to send their children for the purpose of preparing them to depend in future life on one of the most certain, and therefore the most happy of human pursuits; combining in itself all the elements of constant, regular, and sagacious employment; and freed from all the cares and corroding recollections, present or past, of the pursuits of a political life. "Your committee propose to give them (farmers) a school to which resort may be had for the cultivation of the mind, and the improvement of the person; laying the foundation for future toils and pleasures, (for toils in agriculture are pleasures, when conducted to a successful result,) for future health and happiness, and preparing them to rear up a race fit to transmit to posterity the liberties we so highly cherish." ART. III. PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF INTELLECTUAL IN- STRUCTION CHILDREN. [Continued from Vol. II. p. 570.] EDUCATION, rightly regarded, is not only an influence by which ideas are imparted, but an agency which calls them forth, in clear and palpable forms, from the sentient mind. It is a process of expression as well of impression. Its office consists, not in shedding light upon an opaque substance, but on the transparent mirror of the soul, whose surface reflects the images cast upon it, in their true proportions. It should address equally the intuitive and expressive powers of the child. The young mind is daily imbibing fresh material for thought. Susceptibility and instinct are supplying it with new ideas; and it endeavors to express these in oral and symbolic forms. It is this tendency of the mind that developes, at so early a period, the power of language; and renders the soul not only the receptacle of ideas, but imparts to it a moulding energy, by which these are impressed with the living forms of spirit. To supply the mind with fresh forms from without, and to keep it pure and transparent, that it may receive and reflect these forms in their true symmetry and beauty, would seem, therefore, to constitute the office of instruction; - to fit the soul for accurate correspondence with itself and with outward objects, the end of education. The following exercises, selected from the manuscripts of a little girl of nine years of age, are offered as specimens of original thought and expression as exhibitions of what may be accomplished, at an early age, in aid of cultivating the intuitive powers, by supplying the mind with materials, drawn chiefly from its own experience. The extent of idea manifested in them, as attained by one so young is a proof that subjects and efforts, usually regarded as without the apprehension of the juvenile mind, are not necessarily unintelligible, when presented in appropriate forms, and when the mind is interested in its own movements. The obvious pleasure which they afforded the writer, is a sufficient reason, even were there no other to warrant this belief, that instruction conducted in this form, during the earlier stages of the mind's expansion, is favorable to the growth and energy of the whole being for where mental pursuits are prosecuted with conscious pleasure, progress is a necessary result. As specimens of original exercises of children have been presented in preceding numbers of the Annals, the following exercises are regarded as additional illustrations of principles applied in detail. 14. The power of illustration, depends essentially upon an active and vivid conception. In the expression of moral truth, this power is particularly important. Tales, fables, and allegories, embody the fruits of conception in its most vivid forms; and are well adapted to call forth the intuitive operations of the young mind. A specimen of each follows. FIDELITY. "There was once a little girl, and she was very affectionate. She had a dog which she liked very much. His name was Trusty. After a while, however, his mistress grew tired of him, but he still loved her. As he was one day walking with her, they came to a town where a wild bull was kept. This bull had got loose, and threatened to do a great deal of mischief. He came running towards the little girl, but the dog kept him off, by his barking, till the little girl reached a house. He then followed his mistress, but was somewhat hurt. The little girl was sorry that he had thus suffered from his fidelity to her, and had him well taken care of. She ever afterwards treated him kindly. SELF-IGNORANCE. "A wolf, running one day, was pursued by some dogs. To get out of their way, he ran into a hedge; so the dogs did not find him. While here, a thorn ran into his eye and blinded him. Leaving his retreat he began to find fault with things, saying that they were not well-shaped, and that it was night when it should be day. But a fox, observing him and hearing him say this, said to him, "The fault is in your own eyes, and not in things, for you are blind.". Moral. When we are ignorant of our own imperfections, we cannot judge correctly of the perfections of others. THE JOURNEY OF LIFE. "Walking one evening by the sea-shore, I discovered, at a distance, a cave; and, being tired, I entered it to sit down and test myself. The noise of the waters, falling around me, and the ocean before me, soon lulled me to sleep. And I thought I saw, in the middle of a great plain, two hills. On each was a temple. I observed that one hill was easier to ascend than the other, and that a great many people were ascending it. The other hill was less difficult of ascent, and had a great many people on it; even more than the first. When these people had reached the top of the hill, they appeared to be happy; but when they died, their minds instead of going upward, passed downward, till the observers could see them no longer. But those ascending the first hill looked very happy, even while they were toiling up its steeps, and if one died on the way, his mind was carried beyond the visible temple to one that was invisible. And I observed that their thoughts were fixed, not on the visible temple, buton one clearly seen by the mind. When they reached the temple on the top of the hill they were happy; and happier when they died, and entered the one seen in the mind. "While observing these things, I thought that a person approached me, and I asked him the names of the objects which I beheld. The plain which you see, said he, is the Plain of Birth. The difficult hill leads to the Temple of Truth and Wisdom, and the temple beyond this is Perfection. The other hill leads to Earthly Happiness. I further inquired why the people stopped at the bottom of the hills before they ascended? And he said it was to consider and choose which they should ascend. But here I was awakened by the coldness of the night air, and arose and went home." 15. The circumstances and events of life, as connected with the pursuits of the child, may, if recorded, shed much light upon his progress, and lead to correct self-inspection and self-estimation. The following is an extract from a diary designed to subserve purposes and lead to results of this nature. JOURNAL 1833. "January 1. Tuesday. Read some of Miss Edgeworth's Comic Dramas, and was particularly interested in the Two Guardians. I think she may well call her dramas comic, for they are very laughable, and are, doubtless, true to nature. I have thought a good deal how I should spend the time this season, and have been laying my plans. I have made a selection for my Mental Gems from Mrs Barbauld, and I call it Faith in God. is very beautiful. It "Jan. 2. Wednesday. Read some from Miss Edgeworth's Ormund. I was much interested in it. I have often tried to understand this story and have never succeeded before. I observed that I have often tried to understand stories and have not succeeded, but upon putting them away, and waiting a few weeks before I read them again, I could understand them, and am interested in them. I have fixed an hour for the study of Geography - I shall study it in the afternoon. I have learned one lesson to-day Pennsylvania. My thoughts have been more fixed on my reading than anything else. I think I had better study arithmetic one day, and geography the next. "Jan. 3. Thursday. Finished the reading of Ormund. Have done some sums in Colburn's arithmetic, and like to do them very much - they make me think. I read, for the first time understandingly, the birth of Jesus Christ, and was much interested in it. Jan. 4. Friday. I have continued my geography. Paraphrased in my book. Received a letter from Mr A- It is the first letter I have received from him, since my return from the city. We had discontinued our correspondence for some time. It is very interesting and instructive to me. I have thought a good deal about his letter; and have been, also, trying to think what books I have ever read, so as to make a catalogue of them. I have thought of a good many already, and some of them are very good books. I have read some in Western Heath, but did not like it very much. I have read some from Miss Edgeworth's Frank, and was very much interested in it, as I am in all Miss Edgeworth's works that I understand. I have felt unusually happy to-day. "Jan. 5. Saturday. Read Rosanna and Murad the Unlucky, and was much interested in them. Arranged my thoughts for answering Mr A.'s letter. "Jan. 7. Monday. Had a geography lesson to learn, and as it was not very easy, I got out of patience. But I tried very hard, and at last succeeded. I shall not get out of patience again. I have read some in the New Testament, and understand what I read. "Jan. 8. Tuesday. Read some in the New Testament. Answered Mr A- -'s letter. Studied my lesson in geography. "Jan. 9. Wednesday. Read some in the New Testament, and from Wordsworth's Poems. "Jan. 10. Thursday. Read in the New Testament. Jesus Christ taught more by parables than in any other way, and I think it one of the best ways for teaching. Studied geography. Think it more useful than pleasant. Learned some arithmetic also. "Jan. 11. Friday. I have read some from Miss Edgeworth's works, and from a selection of stories written by Pestalozzi - was much interested in them. Studied arithmetic in Colburn. "Jan. 12. Saturday. I have read some from Swiss Family Robinson, and like it much. Read also in Miss Edgeworth's Harry and Lucy, and like it, because by trying experiments, they make things sure. "Jan. 14. Monday. Selected a piece of poetry from Gray, calling it Impartiality of Providence. It is very beautiful and intended for Mental Gems. Read some in Frank. "Jan. 15. Tuesday. Answered Mr A's letter. I continue to be much interested in our correspondence, and should be very sorry if Mr A. should think of discontinuing it. I inserted my selection in Mental Gems. Mr A. gave me some important advice on the advantages and importance of order. "Jan. 16. Wednesday. Studied my geography. Selected a piece of poetry for Mental Gems, and called it Tuition of Experience. The poetry agrees with the name. "Jan. 17. Thursday. Wrote some in my Lesson Book, and like to write in it very much. "Jan. 18. Friday. Read some in Frank, and it seems as if I should never get tired of it. The oftener I read an interesting book, the more I like it. I can often find in Miss Edgeworth's writings, something agreeing with my own experience. "Jan. 19. Saturday. Read most of the day in Practical Education, and was interested in all parts of it that I could understand. Read also in Practical Reading Lessons, -a most interesting book. It contains anecdotes illustrating the virtues." 16. The beneficial effects resulting from epistolary correspondence, are too obvious to require comment or elucidation. The following letters are selected from a correspondence of some length, between the little girl and her teacher. "The uses which you think there are in keeping a Diary, are, I think, very clear to any one. I could not have given so many reasons as you have done. But there was one reason which I thought of before you mentioned it, though I could not so well express it. I think that I should like to keep a Diary, and will if you think best. "Your last letter was, I think, better than the others; but still I like the blank verse in your second letter better than the rhyme in the last. I understand it better. "When you said that " formal instruction may impress, but it is the experience of circumstances that alone educates," you said true, I think. Though we can very well understand and believe what is told us by others, we can be more certain if we have had experience about it. Still most of our knowledge is derived by faith in others, and not from real experience of it ourselves. "But there is one thing which I forgot to tell you of-that is, one of my reasons for keeping a Diary, or Journal. You have often said that we get conscience by observing our experience. Writing a Diary is writing our experience, and after we have written it, and observed the causes of what happens to us, that teaches how to act again to make things operate well upon us. "Do you not think that letter-writing teaches us to express our thoughts with ease and correctness? I think so. When we have done writing our letters, what shall we do with them of what use will they be? "Poetry I do not like at all, unless it have something to do with truth, which it generally has, I believe. The reason why I like the poetry in your last letter called The Three Books,' is because it is so very true. Will you make me a book for a Diary? "Your scholar, LETTER XXIV. E. W. L." "In your last letter you made it appear very plainly that choice is the noblest gift of man. There is, it seems to me, a great deal of choice in conscience. I even think that the greatest part of conscience is choice. When we do not use choice well, it is not so much the fault of choice, as of our passions which influence it. If we act from necessity, and not from choice, I can see no merit in us, for all our merit comes from a good use of choice. Virtue springs from it-it is the beginning of virtue- having chosen well we can act upon our choice. "I think that when we choose our masters well, we choose conscience, faith, and reason; and it is when our passions will not submit to the government of these masters, and our passions rise up against them, that we do wrong. You may well say that our safety depends upon our choice of masters; and I think that our happiness does too; for we cannot be happy with bad masters, and let our good parts be trampled on by our bad. "Before I asked anybody whether I had done right or wrong, I should try to think for myself; and when they gave me their opinion, I should ask them their reasons, and consider upon them, before I made up my mind. Would not this be right? "I value all your comparisons as much as your plain thoughts, and I liked those very much in your last letter. "As I have been talking, or rather writing about conscience, faith, reason, and choice, I wish you would make me a map of the powers and faculties of our nature, that I may better understand them. "November 28. "Your scholar, E. W. L." |